Are bass smart or is it instinct ?

[CCbass]

This comes from a study I read years ago about bass in a tank and how often they could catch the same fish on the same bait. The stidy stated a fish caught on a soft bait could be caught on the same bait within an hour or so. If a fish was caught on a hard bait it would take almost two weeks before that fish was caught on the same lure. Two things here, natural equals not associating catch with reason for catch (An hour would be more trama then effect) according to the bass, and two memory fades after a given time (if not natural). If bass were "smart" it seems both effects of being caught would in fact be the same as far as eating the same bait. Just my evaluation of the study.

[aikenyounggun]

im not sure they are smart like us but if they see you they realize you aint there to give them a present..... but i think a lot of it is instinct

[keithdog]

My guess is that bass live primarily on instinct. But I think that some bass have more "street smarts" than other bass. Perhaps they are more wary of prediters, and anything that is just not quite right in their surroundings, or about what they choose to ingest. Those are the bass that grow to a ripe old age.

[aikenyounggun]

yeah i think some bass are smarter than others (just like humans) b/c the smart ones have a better chance of being that 25 pounder that sets the new world record..... but hey Dottie got cuaght 3 times (or of what we know ... all records) so maybe its luck too

[supermat]

I've seen bass do some pretty "smart" things. Most of them are ruled by instinct but I've seen some giants (15+ lbers) do things that make me believe they were analyzing the situation and making decisions accordingly. It goes against everything that's been written but I've seen it and so have others.

[Bassboss]

The lure thing I would have to say it's smarts, but otherwise, in regular life, it's gotta be instinct!

[CCbass]

This is in fact why I posted this, nature creates and only the best survive. Instinct is the driving force of a preditor, they don't have the brain power like us, the more you fish instinct based techniques the larger the return. Bass lay 10,000 or more eggs, only a very small fraction live more then a year. The more instinct that is developed in the bass (natural selection) the longer it will live.

[CCbass]

Supermat that is instinct, not "smart" per say. Those big fish know when something looks "fishy" parden the pun. Instinct tells them something is not right, the way the bait swims, the way it reacts to them, they have not grown that big by grabing every bait that swims by. A less instinct minded bass might not care, fall for it and boom, his or her genes are not pasted on. Its how nature works.

[Bob Smith]

CCbass, I believe that you are bringing some very good points to the table on this thread, and I agree with you (surprised?). In fact several of my friends in Texas are Biologist for the TP&W. What they have told us is that thier studies indicate the bass truly "learn" certain behaviors or bait recognitions, but the traits actually appear to manifest themselves as "instinct" in thier offspring. In other words if a bass is caught on a specific bait too many times it will eventually become wary of the bait. However, thier offspring tend to recognize the bait as a threat automatically (instinct). That was the Biologist explanation as to why some baits used to produce really well on a lake, then as time passes it doesn't produce as well.

[fish2]

I have also heard biologist say that bass can learn certain behaviors just like Bob said. when all is said and done it is instinct that makes a bass go after bait. I hope they don't learn to much other wise I'm gonna have to get a new sport.

[lowrider]

good points being made on this one. think about all the other critters we've chased, deer, ducks, turkeys, fish, they all develop "smarts" when it comes to being hunted. it is, however, instinct in the end. remember a bass has a brain the size of a thimble! we can outsmart them...maybe.

[CCbass]

Thanks Bob Smith for a nod of approval, I'm not trying to be a know it all in the fishing world. I am just trying to add my knowledge from what I have learened as a fisherman and a wildfile biologist. I just want to teach what I have learned and sometimes it seems to provoke a negative response.

[CCbass]

On the same line as far as evolution, pheasent offspring will duck if the shadow of a bird of prey, head first is presented to them. If you show them the shadow tail first no responce. Learned respose comes back again and again, nature is a *****.

[WTL]

CC, your analytical style is welcome and appreciated on this board.

I think this discussion comes very close to being an issue of semantics. Certainly bass do not think or reason.

If we are to take evolution as the rule, bass became the predator they are by having specialized and developed instincts which lend themselves to the niche they fill in the ecosystem. These instincts are going to be advanced to the point where it appears to be intelligence at a glance, but it is all a function of survival and the process of natural selection. If they did not have these instincts, they wouldnt be around still with all the pressures they have faced over the history of the species.

For example, if bass did not instinctivly learn to be wary, commorants would have decimated their population long ago. But as it is, bass not only are naturally a little more skittish in shallow water, but can become even more skittish individually if attacked in the shallows.

[CCbass]

WTL thank you, I have spent way to many hours trying to explain what you just said. The fiirst thing I was taught as a biologist was to take human thought out of the picture. Which I failed at in the beggining, even after fishing, and being in nature my whole life. Instinct is a hard concept for most, but understanding equals success.

[Joel]

Bass can't reason, they simply react out of instinct. They can be conditioned or trained to react to certain situations either positive or negative in nature. Naturally, some do it better and or quicker then others and survive, while others fall to their predators including us.

Our job as predators is to trick the Bass into reacting to our presentations in a positive way. If we do, we hook 'em. If we don't, it's a long day on the water.

[jimfreeman]

I live on a large lake in the South, have a dock with plenty of bream and largemouth bass, and make it a challenge to catch the bass and bream using different kinds of artificial and live baits. I enjoy trying to trick them since I have seen and tried different ways to catch them. I feed the bream (mostly bluegill) bread and have hundreds of bream around my dock and you can guess there are plenty of bass. Both the bream and bass seem to be smart enough or maybe instinct to know when I am trying to catch them. The water is clear so they usually check out the bait and I have had many bass release an artificial once in the mouth. I sometimes catch bass by instinct when tossed near them but when they have time to check the bait out they usually swim away like it is something that will hurt them. Sometimes I see several large bass around the brush piles near the bank and try different artificial baits and even with live bream. Even with live bream they will be suspicious and swim away. I am always trying different ways to catch them and really do believe they have a long term memory, especially once they are hooked and released. Around my dock the bass have plenty of food and so I think they are more selective when feeding. I have seen bass with several bream feeding on bread swimming near their head and bodies and the bass seem to know their chances of catching one or maybe they are just not hungry. Fish are interesting....

[Mumpy]

Originally Posted by CCbass

the way it reacts to them

^^^^^^^^ This!

I'm telling you, here is an easy experiment you can do that I did this weekend.

Take a Frog, Throw it in the Weeds and bring it out to the edge of the water just where the frog has just made it into the water and FREEZE!!!! Don't move it! Let it set for about 15 to 20 Seconds and then give it a twitch and FREEZE!!!!

After you've caught a few fish, because you WILL Catch a few. Throw it into the weeds, hop it out and just keep on hopping it to the boat.

Then tell me which gave you more strikes? I already know the answer because I did it this weekend. The One that Freezes at the Waters Edge where it meets the grass. It was all about how that Frog was reacting to that Bass.

[nofearengineer]

This thread is 2-1/2 years old and posted by a member who probably should have left 3-1/2 years ago.

[carolina-rig-01]

Originally Posted by nofearengineer

This thread is 2-1/2 years old and posted by a member who probably should have left 3-1/2 years ago.

No kidding.

[Bassboss]

Originally Posted by carolina-rig-01

No kidding.

took the words right outa my mouth, lol!

[bamabassman]

it's ok mumpy. to give oyu a bit of background, chec out ALL his posts and threads. then you will understand.

[Lvitch]

Originally Posted by CCbass

Supermat that is instinct, not "smart" per say. Those big fish know when something looks "fishy" parden the pun. Instinct tells them something is not right, the way the bait swims, the way it reacts to them, they have not grown that big by grabing every bait that swims by. A less instinct minded bass might not care, fall for it and boom, his or her genes are not pasted on. Its how nature works.

I agree fully. Also remember bass dont have hands. So when something new comes by , most of the time they will try and see if its easy food first, ask questions later. Plastic baits have a more random and natural movement than any hard bait which is mechanical. I'm sure they associate an adverse reaction with the action of a bait for some time also. Thump thump thump, vs an organic type (dying prey) fall.

[BigBassin144]

This whole thread deserves a:



BB

[mrmuskie5]

I think the softbait vs hardbait has to do with feeding strike vs reaction strike. remember this is just some random dudes theory lol.
maybe a bass can find far more unnatural traits in a hard bait (hard thump/rattle, hooks hanging off the bottom, hard in the mouth, stays on a pretty consistant track). and they have to give chase (bass are lazy). A soft plastic moves very natural, soft like the real thing, tastes and smells good, hooks are for the most part are hidden..... i dont know thats just my 2 cents.